Chapter 96: The Snail House and a Tangled Web of Deception

Entering through the photography studio’s door, a new sight greeted them.

The entrance hall and staircase appeared somewhat spacious, while a massive crystal chandelier hung overhead.

The décor resembled that of a mansion—a rather large one at that.

“This is… the Destiny Observation Society?”

Eve’s eyes held a hint of surprise. This wasn’t due to the mansion’s decor itself, but rather its immense size.

Beyond the grand, somewhat empty entrance hall, a sweeping glance revealed a row of doors behind the second-floor railing.

It was hard to imagine the sheer scale of this mansion.

As a mage herself, Eve knew how incredibly difficult it would be to conceal such a vast area using spatial magic. She certainly couldn’t achieve it.

“Indeed, Miss Eve, this is a part of the Destiny Observation Society—or, as you might call it, our headquarters.”

“However, I don’t truly consider us an ‘organization,’” Ellen continued with a smile, as if having guessed Eve’s thoughts. “We are merely a race that bands together for warmth.”

“This mansion isn’t my personal creation either. It’s a place where our witch tribe has sought refuge and hidden for generations, passed down by successive leaders of the Observation Society.”

“We refer to it as the ‘Snail House.’ After all, like snails, we carry our homes wherever we go.”

Eve nodded silently. If this was the ancestral hiding place of the Destiny Observation Society, it made far more sense.

It was no wonder the world rarely caught a glimpse of the witch tribe, given such a ‘Snail House’ that could completely conceal their very existence with spatial magic.

“Come, then. For now, let us sit down and discuss things properly, you two.”

****

The three women took their seats at opposite ends of a massive long table. Although the meeting room was lit by ambient light, candelabras still adorned the table, their flames burning steadily.

Ellen, not rushing into business, softly called out, “Ganar—”

In response, a witch, dressed in dark robes and appearing pale, entered the room.

“Yes, Ms. Ellen? What would you two like to drink?”

“Oh, no need to trouble yourself, Ms. Ellen,” Eve waved a hand. “Anything is fine.”

“Then, two Earl Grey teas for you both, and my usual. Thank you, Ganar.”

“Of course, Ms. Ellen…” Ganar replied in a frail voice, yet she didn’t move to serve. Instead, she slowly crouched down.

A weak, struggling gasp then echoed through the meeting room.

Strangely, Ellen seemed oblivious to Ganar’s distress, remaining calmly seated.

It was Eve who finally couldn’t hold back. After a moment of silence, she asked, “Um, Ms. Ganar, is she alright?”

“Hmm?” Ellen’s voice held a hint of confusion. “Ganar? What’s wrong?”

As Ellen spoke, Ganar, still crouched, covered her mouth with a hand, letting out a very restrained retching sound.

“It’s just… she seems a little unwell right now…” Eve glanced at Ganar, a flicker of worry in her eyes.

While the other witches she had encountered earlier hadn’t seemed particularly strange, Ganar’s current state was deeply unsettling.

To Eve, Ganar looked like a terminal cancer patient on the verge of death. Yet Ellen sat there, completely unconcerned, unwilling to even grant her a moment of peace in her final hours.

“Oh, that. It’s fine, Miss Eve. Ganar is perfectly alright.” Ellen said this without even turning her head an inch towards Ganar.

Eve and Xiluo’er found this baffling.

However, Ganar had already struggled to stand, supporting herself against the wall. With one hand clutching her stomach, she slowly walked out.

Xiluo’er had initially intended to observe Ganar further, as she had never encountered such a peculiar witch in the game. Nevertheless, she chose to remain motionless in her seat.

This was because an assassin’s keen senses had detected a gaze—one from Ellen, unmistakably.

Although Ellen’s eyes were completely covered by white gauze, Xiluo’er couldn’t be certain if she was truly looking at her. Whether someone whose eyes were covered could even see was a question in itself. Yet, Xiluo’er was absolutely sure that Ellen was staring at her.

And it wasn’t just a casual glance; it was an intense, unwavering stare.

Ellen was looking at her as if Xiluo’er were some kind of… object?

‘What is she staring at me for? Is Ellen really seeing something on my face—or in me?’ Xiluo’er’s thoughts surfaced. ‘Otherwise, why would Ellen pay attention to me?’

In the original game’s plot, Ellen’s attitude towards Xiluo was practically hostile, as if she wished Xiluo would simply vanish. Whenever Xiluo was present, Ellen largely ignored her.

To prepare for such treatment, Xiluo’er had even done some mental conditioning. ‘So what if I’m given the cold shoulder? I’ll endure!’

Xiluo’er had even deliberately avoided any attempts to curry favor with Ellen during this initial meeting, unlike Xiluo in the original plot, who would have eagerly approached. Xiluo’er certainly wasn’t going to offer her warm hospitality to someone who would coldly rebuff her.

Yet, to her surprise, Ellen, instead of ignoring her, was now focused on her. This made it difficult for Xiluo’er not to suspect that Ellen had discovered something.

Although she hadn’t consciously done anything significant, her presence alone seemed to be enough.

So, while Ellen stared at her, Xiluo’er pretended not to notice. She lifted her head, her feet not quite touching the ground, and feigned admiration for the ceiling.

‘Ah, this ceiling is truly ceiling-like! And this chandelier is truly… a light!’

****

It was Eve who finally broke the silence.

“Ms. Ellen, Xiluo’er’s poison…”

As soon as the intensity of Ellen’s gaze on Xiluo’er vanished, both women heard Ellen on the other side of the long table sigh softly.

“I apologize, but detoxification is not my area of expertise. However, if Ms. Turing has promised to help you two, then you can certainly trust her.”

“Although you two came to Lund City after Ms. Turing, as the client, had already left, she herself would not deny her promise.”

“Ms. Turing is simply busy and tends to focus on her own affairs.”

“However, I believe Ms. Turing can definitely resolve Ms. Xiluo’er’s issue; otherwise, she wouldn’t have earned the title of a genius, would she?”

“If Miss Eve doesn’t mind,” Ellen paused, then continued, “I can help check Ms. Xiluo’er’s body for any other issues. Although poisons aren’t my specialty, a general check-up should be fine.”

Upon hearing this, Eve looked puzzled.

While Ellen’s words seemed perfectly reasonable, and her expression remained serenely elegant, Eve couldn’t shake the feeling that something was off.

Simply put, her internal alarms were blaring.

“No, thank you,” Xiluo’er interjected. “We already checked in Karna City, and we have ways to alleviate the symptoms, so there’s no urgent rush.”

In short, despite her reservations, Eve rejected Ellen’s kind offer.

Indeed, there was no great urgency. After all, Eve had considerable confidence in her own ability to act as a powerful portable charger.

Xiluo’er admitted that Eve was a very useful human-sized power bank, but the problem was that whenever she used her, Xiluo’er would get a tingling sensation throughout her body. It was… unpleasant.

However, while the two were discussing this, Xiluo’er’s mind was elsewhere.

‘Since I’ve re-established contact with the Chaos Cult, and they haven’t found any issues with me for now, can I just ask them for the antidote?’

But Xiluo’er couldn’t be sure. After all, if the Chaos Cult was still suspicious of her, asking for an antidote now might just put her back in the same situation as in Karna City, where she was temporarily sustained by an antidote.

If that was the case, it would be better to make a backup plan and have The Erudite Club help research an antidote.

“In that case,” Eve began.

Following Eve’s lead, Ellen calmly spoke.

“While Ms. Turing resolves Ms. Xiluo’er’s issue, which will take some time, perhaps Miss Eve could assist us with something during your stay in Lund City?”

“It’s like this: Ms. Turing and I have formed a partnership for a rather formal and extensive Destiny Observation. This will require a significant amount of time.”

“However, recently, some cultists seem to have targeted us.”

“If possible, I would like to ask Miss Eve to help us investigate the cultists within the city, as I heard Miss Eve handled similar cult-related issues in Karna City.”

Xiluo’er, silently listening to their conversation, nodded subtly.

Sure enough, even if the plot had deviated somewhat, certain key events still seemed to unfold naturally.

In the game, the Destiny Observation Society also entrusted Eve with solving the cult problem in Lund City. However, the game’s reason was that Eve had lost two shipments belonging to the organization and needed to compensate them. Regardless, Xiluo’er felt that as long as she was chopped into eight pieces by Eve, it would be a destined outcome.

As the two women’s conversation delved into business, Xiluo’er, bored of listening, noticed someone silently pushing open the meeting room door.

It was Ganar who entered the meeting room. Clearly, she hadn’t made such a quiet entrance out of a desire not to disturb their conversation; she simply lacked the strength to push the door open properly.

As Ganar entered the meeting room, she held a tray with three porcelain cups, breathing in short, weak gasps.

The liquid in the cups on the tray trembled continuously, teetering on the verge of spilling.

Ganar seemed to be trying her utmost to keep the liquid from spilling. She was bent at the waist, her hands clutching the tray, and sweat beaded on her forehead.

“Thank you, Ganar.”

Ellen simply took the cup Ganar offered, still not paying much attention to her condition. As the conversation had turned to important matters, she and Eve no longer focused on the frail-looking witch.

When it was Xiluo’er’s turn, she watched, wide-eyed, as the weak witch, her body bent at an unnatural angle, tremblingly reached out to take the last cup from the tray.

The liquid in the cup shook and trembled.

“Ganar,” Xiluo’er whispered quietly, “you’re the one serving tea and water, right?”

Ganar, however, merely muttered, “Don’t worry about me.” After successfully delivering the three cups, she seemed to have lost even the strength to stand.

Ganar looked as if she might collapse at any moment. Her back trembled and curved further.

‘Ah, this…’

Though she knew witches were often abnormal, this wasn’t something that could be simply explained away by abnormality!

Xiluo’er felt somewhat helpless, hesitating whether to call Eve or Ellen for help.

But before she could react, Ganar simply waved her hand and, without a word, silently retreated with the tray.

Unsure what to say, Xiluo’er instinctively picked up her teacup.

‘Forget it, I’ll just drink some tea to calm down.’

The three cups Ganar had brought were Earl Grey tea for her and Eve, while Ellen’s contained a dark liquid, which appeared to be coffee.

Xiluo’er took a small sip of the hot tea. Though she wasn’t particularly fond of tea and didn’t claim to be an expert, the taste confirmed it was an exceptionally fine brew.

It was truly, truly delicious.

Xiluo’er set down the porcelain cup, having no intention of drinking more. No matter how good the tea was, she wasn’t particularly interested in things that required such careful savoring.

But no sooner had she set down the teacup than her vision began to blur. A wave of drowsiness washed over her.

‘This isn’t right. Why am I feeling sleepy? Is this sleeping tea?!’

Alarm bells rang loudly in Xiluo’er’s mind. Though she didn’t know why Ellen would drug the tea, given her current state, Ellen must have used a considerable dose.

Xiluo’er opened her mouth, intending to warn Eve that there was something wrong with the tea, but the onset of drowsiness was too rapid. Soon, Xiluo’er’s eyes rolled back, and she lost consciousness.

‘Damn it, I’m done for now.’

This was Xiluo’er’s last thought before losing consciousness.

****

“Cat Tail, where are you right now?”

In a pitch-black space, Xiluo’er reopened her eyes. Before she could fully process her surroundings, she heard Nightmare’s slightly stern voice.

‘Me? Where am I?’

“Cat Tail, I can’t pinpoint your location in Lund City right now. Where did you go?”

‘Me! I’m not in Lund City anymore?’ Xiluo’er froze.

She had only followed Ellen into the witch’s photography studio; how could she possibly not be in Lund City? And how did Nightmare even know whether she was in Lund City or not?

“The Chaos Cult hasn’t fully dispelled their suspicions about you, so last time, I left Nightmare’s ‘seed’ on you. There was no other way.”

“This seed allows me to know your exact location within Lund City, and it also lets me quickly pull you into a dream, ignoring distance within Lund City’s range—of course, I didn’t want to do it, it’s just too much trouble, plus I don’t get paid extra for supervising you.”

“But I can’t determine your location now, so I tried to invade your dream—and found I could still get in. Cat Tail, you didn’t run away from Lund City, did you?”

At this point, Nightmare’s voice became fully serious.

‘Seed? Supervision?’ Xiluo’er quickly grasped the situation.

‘Hmm, as expected of the Chaos Cult. They still don’t fully trust her. Their methods are quite insidious.’

It wasn’t just her, but it was fortunate this was discovered now. If there was anything she couldn’t let the Chaos Cult know… that wouldn’t be fun.

“No, I just followed Eve to the headquarters of the Destiny Observation Society.”

“The Destiny Observation Society. Oh—” Nightmare’s voice, filled with sudden realization, echoed in her ears.

“That makes sense then—no wonder the Chaos Cult could never find Lund City, and I couldn’t find it within Lund City either. So this is how you manage to hide your location, huh, Cat Tail.”

“How did you manage to do what we couldn’t so quickly?” Nightmare’s voice was filled with a mix of surprise and relief.

“I went through so much trouble trying to figure out where these witches were hiding, and you found the Observation Society’s location so quickly! I’m so touched; it’ll save me so much work.”

Upon hearing Nightmare’s words, Xiluo’er realized that Nightmare had completely misunderstood. Xiluo’er hadn’t helped at all; she had merely followed Ellen inside as a matter of course.

However, Xiluo’er quickly realized the implications.

In the original plot, Xiluo and Eve had no idea where the Destiny Observation Society was hiding!

Although it was a case of ‘all roads lead to Rome,’ Nightmare didn’t give Xiluo’er a chance to respond.

Xiluo’er understood that she was now involved in what was likely the original plot point where the Chaos Cult found the Destiny Observation Society!

If Nightmare were to discover her true nature while she was doing something… Xiluo’er couldn’t guarantee that her own insidious methods would be enough to leave Nightmare speechless.

But it was clear that Nightmare didn’t fully trust Xiluo’er, or rather, Nightmare wouldn’t simply trust an outsider so easily.

Nevertheless, this was Xiluo’er’s chance to truly participate in the core plot.

Xiluo’er felt a pang of nervousness, fearing that Nightmare might inadvertently discover she was an intruder, which was why she was behaving this way. But it was clear that Nightmare’s attention was entirely focused on Xiluo’er and Eve.

Ellen’s face flushed crimson at Nightmare’s words.

Xiluo’er’s heart tightened. She felt she could clearly discern Nightmare’s strength; this was not someone who could be dealt with by brute force. She was a Nightmare!

Moreover, Nightmare knew she was an intruder but hadn’t said anything. Was she waiting to see when Xiluo’er would discover her own location before trying to avoid inadvertently becoming a sinner for eternity?

“But… when Ellen brought us in, she deliberately didn’t hide anything, letting you see the exact location of the Observation Society.”

“It’s fine, it’s fine,” Nightmare said with a beaming smile. “Ms. Xiluo’er, this is an excellent opportunity. Since you’re inside the Observation Society, please take this chance to investigate Ellen and the Observation Society headquarters—this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity!”

‘Damn it,’ Xiluo’er thought, surprised that Nightmare would say such a thing.

Although she had anticipated this day would come, she couldn’t possibly fool the cult’s orders every time. But she hadn’t expected this day to arrive so quickly!

Xiluo’er was about to think of an excuse to refuse Nightmare, but Nightmare didn’t give her the chance.

“Alright, I won’t say more. After all, you’re inside the Observation Society right now. If I had known beforehand, I wouldn’t have let you wander blindly in front of Ellen for so long.”

“So be it, then. I’ll let you out. The investigation is on you!”

After Nightmare rattled off everything, she didn’t give Xiluo’er a chance to respond.

****

Xiluo’er rubbed her eyes, her body rising from the deep waters of darkness. She was about to wake up.

And it was only after hearing Nightmare’s words that Xiluo’er realized the problem.

‘That’s right, if Ellen had prepared sleeping tea for me… then why wasn’t I showing any abnormalities after being knocked out? And it’s probably very dangerous to openly contact someone from the Chaos Cult in a dream.’

Xiluo’er rubbed her eyes again, then suddenly realized, ‘I’m in a dream!’

The meeting room was silent; there was no longer any conversation. Xiluo’er found that both Ellen and Eve were quietly watching her.

Xiluo’er’s heart tightened instantly. ‘Damn it, did Ellen discover something because of this small matter?’

After getting up from the table…

“Ms. Xiluo’er, why did you fall asleep?”

Ellen’s question made Xiluo’er instinctively straighten up.

“Ah, this, this…” Xiluo’er stammered, unable to come up with an explanation. Ellen merely smiled.

“No need to hide it anymore.”

“It was bitter, wasn’t it?”

“It’s alright, Ms. Xiluo’er,” Ellen continued, “You’ve been hiding it until now; it must have been hard.”

Xiluo’er froze in her seat. ‘It’s over now, isn’t it?’

“Ah, this…” Ellen’s words successfully caused Xiluo’er to panic. ‘No way? What does she mean? Is it really…?’

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